YouSaid · the spoken record

Byrne Nason

lines on the record: 1,154
first: 2018-04-16
most recent: 2022-07-29
sittings or episodes: 170
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Aswehaveheard, humanitarianneedsin Afghanistan are great and a scaled-up response clearly required. Ireland remains deeply concerned at the catastrophic food-insecurity situation in the country. The detection of Integrated Phase Classification 5 conditions in Ghor province calls out for our attention. We heard it today from both Martin Griffiths and the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General: people will die of starvation, and malnutrition will undermine the future of millions of Afghan children. Yesterday’s earthquake will only magnify the level of need. Against that backdrop, we condemn reports of continuous humanitarian aid interference by the Taliban.”
2022-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9075 (2022) · source
“Despite the Taliban’s efforts, women and girls in Afghanistan continue to have a strong, powerful and undeniable voice. Courageous women such as Ms. Royan make sure of that. As Ms. Hakim told us today, women with steely determination act and protest, at real risk to themselves, their families and communities. Ireland will continue to stand with the women of Afghanistan. We will continue to raise their voices and work to vindicate their rights. The immense challenges facing Afghanistan simply cannot be solved without Afghan women fully and meaningfully participating in public life. The damage being caused to Afghan society and its economy by that ugly repression is already evident. Afghanistan cannot succeed or develop with one half of its society locked behind closed doors — one hand tied behind its back.”
2022-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9075 (2022) · source
“Where are the universal human rights that Members of the United Nations — including Afghanistan — have recognized for decades? Ask the Taliban. The reality is that the women of Afghanistan are under siege, targeted, intimidated, abused, policed and effectively eliminated from public life. We heard that in graphic terms from Yalda Hakim and Yalda Royan here today. I found that very hard to listen to. The shameful toll of denied education for Afghan girls continues to grow. Today marks 279 days of deprivation. We often hear how women are still permitted to work in Afghanistan in certain circumstances, for example, as doctors. But I would ask, how many Afghan girls will have the chance to work as doctors in future if they cannot even access education today? We all know what the objective is, and we cannot accept it.”
2022-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9075 (2022) · source
“The last week alone has demonstrated the reach and impact of armed organizations around the country, with attacks perpetrated against a Sikh temple in Kabul, at a crowded market in Nangahar and against a mosque in Kunduz province. Afghanistan is not more stable. The stark reality is that there is no safety or security for the millions who are members of minority communities in Afghanistan. Nor is there safety or security for the millions of women and girls in Afghanistan, women and girls who have no freedom of movement, forced behind closed doors and denied their independence. On 7 May, the Taliban issued another decree aimed at the silencing and the erasure of Afghan women. That was a decision that demonstrated that the Taliban believe that women’s rights are a matter for their discretion.”
2022-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9075 (2022) · source
“At the outset, I, too, should like to express my deepest condolences to the people of Afghanistan following yesterday’s devastating earthquake. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected, and Ireland is certainly joining in the urgent humanitarian response. I would also like to thank Under-Secretary-General Griffiths and Mr. Alakbarov for their briefings, which were extremely informative if sobering. I want to welcome to the table Yalda Hakim and Yalda Royan. Their place is with us here at the table. We are very grateful that they came, and we will not forget their messages or the women and girls of Afghanistan. The Secretary-General’s report (S/2022/485) could not be clearer on Afghanistan under the Taliban. Afghanistan is not a more stable and secure country under the Taliban.”
2022-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9075 (2022) · source
“The path to peace requires will and effort wherever and whenever that challenge is undertaken. I urge all parties to capitalize on the renewed vigour to implement the ICGLR road map and the Political Agreement in order to create the future the people of the Central African Republic so much desire and deserve.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“MINUSCA’s dedicated uniformed and civilian personnel continue to make a valuable contribution to peace in the Central African Republic, and their work deserves to and must be supported. Ireland calls on the Government and all the parties to facilitate all United Nations operations. We welcome the coordination structure put in place by Foreign Minister Baipo Temon, and we encourage all parties to continue to engage constructively with MINUSCA. Sanctions are an important tool to support the restoration of peace and security in the Central African Republic. I reiterate Ireland’s support for the Sanctions Committee established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) and again call for an end to delays in the appointment of the final expert to the Committee’s Panel of Experts.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“A staggering 3.1 million people in the Central African Republic — 63 per cent of the population — are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. We condemn the continuing attacks on humanitarian actors and obstructions to the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the strongest possible terms. The suffering of civilians is exacerbated when aid is unable to reach them. Ireland was appalled by the recent killing of a Médecins Sans Frontières staff member in Ouham prefecture. We reiterate our call for an independent investigation to be carried out and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. Status-of-forces-agreement violations endanger United Nations personnel, undermine mandate implementation and place the protection of civilians in jeopardy.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“We urge the Government of the Central African Republic to systematically investigate all allegations of human rights violations and abuses and international humanitarian law violations and to prosecute the perpetrators regardless of nationality or affiliation. We commend the launching of the first trial of the Special Criminal Court, as well as the first criminal sessions in the Bangui Court of Appeal since February 2020. The work of those courts as accountability mechanisms will help contribute to the fight against impunity in the Central African Republic. We welcome the National Assembly’s enactment of a law abolishing the death penalty. The effects of the worsening economic and fiscal situation on civilians, particularly the most vulnerable, are deeply worrying.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“We welcome the work of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) to investigate conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated by the Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique and the Unité pour la paix en Centrafrique, and encourage continued efforts on the issue. Ending impunity is key to ending violations. We are deeply concerned about the allegations of abuses of civilians by the national security forces and other security personnel, particularly the Wagner Group, along with those committed by armed groups. Recent reports of civilian casualties caused by attacks on mines along the border between the Central African Republic and the Sudan are of particular concern.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“We are disappointed by the postponement of local elections, despite the people’s wishes. We encourage the authorities to prioritize the preparation for those elections, which are scheduled for January 2023, including the full, fair and meaningful participation of women as voters, candidates and elected officials. Their safety must be guaranteed. (spoke in English) An urgent end to human rights abuses and violations, and accountability for the atrocities that have been committed, is necessary for a lasting peace. Continued incidents of conflict-related sexual violence are simply unacceptable.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“The fact that many of the recommendations are aligned with the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic is particularly encouraging. We support the Secretary-General’s call to the Government to convey that spirit of dialogue to all the opposition parties and armed groups that are signatories to the Political Agreement and have renounced violence. We welcome the stocktaking conference on the road map of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the initiative of the Special Representative and regional partners, including Angola, as well as President Touadera’s support for the process. We hope that will give the road map and the implementation of the Political Agreement new momentum. In that regard, we also welcome the commitment to holding quarterly follow-up meetings.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“Ms. Byrne Nason (Ireland) (spoke in French): I would like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Ndiaye, for his leadership over the past three years. I also welcome Special Representative Valentine Rugwabiza. I thank her for her very relevant briefing and for the excellent work she has already done in such a short time in carrying out her new functions. She can count on Ireland’s full support. I would also like to thank Ms. Lina Ekomo for her very enlightening and courageous statement. Ireland is extremely concerned about the situation in the Central African Republic. We welcome the republican dialogue, which is an important step in the peace process.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“Lastly, during the reporting period the Committee also received a thematic report from the Panel of Experts, informing the Committee of a list of individuals of interest to the Panel who in the Panel’s assessment may meet the sanctions designation criteria and about whom the Panel continues to gather information. As this is my last briefing to the Council as Chair of the Committee, I would like to conclude by thanking the members of the Committee for the cooperation they have extended to me in the past year and a half.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9071 (2022) · source
“With respect to the arms embargo, I would also like to note that the Committee received the first biannual report of the Federal Government of Somalia pursuant to paragraph 44 of resolution 2607 (2021). With the assistance of the Panel of Experts, the Committee has updated its Implementation Assistance Notice No. 2, which aims to guide Member States on the procedure to follow in submitting approval requests and notifications. In connection with the restrictions on improvised explosive device (IED) components, the Committee received two notifications pursuant to paragraph 10 of resolution 2607 (2021). The Committee has also tasked the Panel of Experts with updating its Implementation Assistance Notice No. 3, which once again is a guide for Member States — in this case, in ensuring the implementation of the IED component restrictions.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9071 (2022) · source
“The Committee also wrote to Oman concerning the charcoal on board the vessel MV Fox, anchored in the territorial waters of Oman. I will now summarize the statistics with regard to arms-embargo exemption requests and notifications. The Committee received and approved two advance approval requests pursuant to paragraph of resolution 2607 (2021). It also received 10 advance-delivery notifications referencing paragraph of the resolution, as well as two post-delivery notifications pursuant to paragraph 32. Furthermore, it received three notifications pursuant to paragraph 27 of resolution 2607 (2021), as well as two notifications that did not reference specific paragraphs.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9071 (2022) · source
“The members of the Committee, expressing their appreciation for Panel’s efforts, are currently considering the five recommendations addressed to the Committee in the Panel’s midterm update. I note that on both occasions, the members of the Committee expressed the view that the successful conclusion of the presidential elections presented a renewed opportunity to cooperate and collaborate with the Federal Government on moving forward with important issues that fall under the Committee’s remit. During the reporting period, the Committee communicated with Member States on various matters. The Committee replied to two queries from Egypt on an arms embargo-related matter and wrote to Bosnia and Herzegovina on one aspect, to which it received a reply.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9071 (2022) · source
“On 3 June, they met in informal consultations to receive a presentation from the Panel of Experts on Somalia on its midterm update, submitted to the Committee on 29 April, and to discuss the recommendations made. Special Representative Gamba de Potgieter updated the Committee on the trends and patterns of grave violations against children in Somalia, which she reported as being consistently numerous and alarming. She also presented recommendations to the Committee. The members of the Committee expressed support for her work. The Panel of Experts covered arms embargo-related matters, Al-Shabaab finances, humanitarian issues and the case of the export of charcoal involving the vessel MV Fox.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9071 (2022) · source
“Ms. Byrne Nason: As mandated by paragraph 11 (g) of resolution 1844 (2008), I have the honour to brief the Security Council in my capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia, covering the period from 25 February 2022 to 21 June 2022. At the outset, I would like to note that since my previous briefing to the Council (see S/PV.8976), the members of the Committee have met twice. On 27 May, they met in the “informal informals” format via closed video-teleconference to hear a briefing by Virginia Gamba de Potgieter, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9071 (2022) · source
“I will say it again: it is never too late to do the right thing. However, while armed conflict continues, Russia must comply with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law. We will not tire of making that call — the people of Ukraine deserve no less from us.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has said that Russia has not merely ignored international humanitarian law but has tossed it aside, and she expressed shock at the scale of the destruction and the numerous violations of international human rights law. The International Criminal Court investigation will prove important in ensuring accountability for any international crimes committed in Ukraine. We therefore call once again for compliance with international humanitarian law, including the obligations to attack only military objectives and to take all feasible precautions in attack. At this table, we have repeatedly called for an end to the war against Ukraine and for the Russian Federation to withdraw its forces and engage in true dialogue and diplomacy towards peace.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“We know that today is the 118th day of Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine. Ukraine’s cities continue to be pummelled by Russia’s armed forces. Ordinary Ukrainians continue to suffer; ordinary Ukrainians continue to die for no reason. The loss of life, damage to critical infrastructure, trade disruption and outflow of refugees is having a devastating impact on Ukraine’s economy, further impoverishing the Ukrainian people. We want to underline in this context that attacks directed against civilians and civilian objects, indiscriminate attacks and disproportionate attacks are all prohibited under international humanitarian law. The mission of experts from the Moscow Mechanism of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has reported a clear pattern of violations of international humanitarian law by Russia.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“This is why we call on the Russian Federation to stop its efforts to establish occupying authorities and its attempts to change the functioning of the Ukrainian State, undermining its democratic foundations. Such steps are yet further deplorable violations of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We recall the importance of avoiding propaganda, hate speech and intentionally divisive language. Difference does not cause conflict; rather it is the stoking of divisions for political purposes that is the real driver of conflict. Russian accusations of genocide against Ukraine were, and are, utterly false, just as attempting to depict Ukraine as an existential threat to Russia has no foundation. These false claims cannot be used to justify the so-called pre-emptive strike back Russia launched against Ukraine.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“I would like to start by thanking all of our excellent briefers this morning for their very insightful contributions. History has taught us repeatedly that atrocity crimes do not occur in a vacuum. An increase in language that marginalizes and targets people on the basis of their identity, race, religion or ethnicity, or on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or other status, is one of the first warning signs of violence. Incendiary language lamenting, glorifying or whitewashing the past and threatening consequences against those who see things differently harks back to darker times in history. Seeking to rectify perceived grievances by resorting to military action against another State to annex part of its territory has absolutely no place in the twenty-first century.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“There has been significant progress on implementing resolution 2585 (2021), and there is much more we can do — including on the cross-line and early- recovery fronts — by renewing this vital resolution. We must not abandon the people of Syria now. We call on the members of the Council to work constructively to ensure that aid can continue to reach the millions of Syrians in need. To echo the Secretary-General, there is a moral and humanitarian imperative to do so.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9068 (2022) · source
“A failure to extend the mandate would lead to further humanitarian suffering on an enormous scale. For Ireland and Norway, our approach as co-penholders on this resolution is guided exclusively by humanitarian needs. We have all heard the figures — 12 years into the conflict, those needs are at their highest levels and continue to grow. A failure to renew the cross-border resolution would mean the loss of the transparency and accountability provided by the United Nations monitoring mechanism. Most important, it would end the delivery of life-saving aid to millions of vulnerable people in severe need of food, shelter, medical assistance, education material, livelihoods and water, sanitation and hygiene assistance.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9068 (2022) · source
“Despite the notable progress that has been made on cross-line deliveries, our Ministers saw very clearly that the cross-border operation at Bab Al-Hawa remains indispensable. There is no alternative for the millions of civilians who rely on the aid provided through that United Nations operation for their survival. As the Secretary-General underlined, this operation is one of the most heavily monitored of its kind in the world, ensuring the humanitarian nature of its shipments in the north-west. Our Ministers saw for themselves the rigorous procedures for the control and monitoring of the aid. We commend United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners for continuing to address the logistical and operational challenges resulting from the operation being reduced to one authorized border crossing.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9068 (2022) · source
“As of late May, $195 million had been contributed to early- recovery and resilience objectives. Further progress will be enabled with the renewal of the resolution. We must ensure that aid reaches all people in need. As co-penholders, Ireland and Norway continue to strongly support the use of all modalities to reach Syrians in need with life-saving humanitarian assistance. We welcome the fifth cross-line delivery, which was completed last week. We encourage further progress on cross-line deliveries and take this opportunity to commend the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other United Nations agencies for their work in that regard. We once again call on all parties to support cross-line deliveries.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9068 (2022) · source
“The Secretary-General has reported that, since January, early-recovery and livelihood partners have supported almost 320,000 individuals directly, with 2.9 million indirect beneficiaries across the country. That means that nearly 3 million people have benefitted from training and work opportunities, health-care facilities, education, water and sanitation infrastructure, mine clearance and agricultural and cash interventions — to name but a few of the activities undertaken. The lives of nearly 3 million people have been improved by the early recovery mandated under resolution 2585 (2021). As we know, some 570 projects — a full 26 per cent of the funding request for the humanitarian response plan — contribute to early recovery and resilience. Major donors have also greatly increased their investment in early recovery over the past year.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9068 (2022) · source
“Across Syria, only one third of schools are fully functional, and more than 1.5 million children currently in education are at risk of dropping out. Children with disabilities are particularly likely to be out of school, and many of the children in most desperate need are dependent on cross-border interventions. We owe it to them to find a way forward. Since the Security Council came together last July to unanimously adopt resolution 2585 (2021) in support of the humanitarian needs of the people of Syria, we have seen significant progress in the implementation of that resolution. We welcome the substantial outcomes of a broad range of early-recovery and resilience activities.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9068 (2022) · source
“In April and May, at least 72 more civilians, including 12 children, lost their lives owing to hostilities and explosive remnants of war. As many as 14.6 million people across the country are in need of humanitarian assistance, 4 million of them in north- west Syria alone. A total of 12 million people are food insecure, with almost 2 million more at risk of food insecurity. Food prices continue to rise, and rates of malnutrition are soaring. Every day, millions of people go hungry in Syria. Negative coping mechanisms are on the rise. The futures of children are mortgaged away so that families can eat. Withdrawn from school and made to go to work, forced into early marriages, those children, who have known little but war, are also losing hope for a better future.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9068 (2022) · source
“I make this statement on behalf of the co-penholders on the Syria humanitarian file, namely, Ireland and Norway. I offer many thanks to Secretary-General Guterres and Under-Secretary-General Griffiths, and I thank Mr. Agha in particular for his presence here today and his efforts in his capacity as NGO Forum Coordinator. Today’s briefings again made plain the desperate needs of so many people in Syria. Last week our Foreign Ministers undertook a visit to Bab Al-Hawa and learned more about those deep needs, along with the extraordinary work of the United Nations and non-governmental organizations in delivering cross-border aid to north-west Syria. The severity of the situation could not be clearer. Syrians are experiencing a twelfth year of war, and humanitarian needs have never been greater.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9068 (2022) · source
“The European Union will continue its close cooperation with the United Nations and will continue to play our role as a responsive, responsible and reliable global actor.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“It is important to stress here that EU sanctions do not affect the trading of food between Russia and third countries. We are working closely with the United Nations Global Crisis Response Group to ensure that our response supports that of the United Nations. Through Solidarity Lanes, we are making efforts to get as much Ukrainian grain to global markets as possible and are supporting Ukrainian farmers to sow and produce in the midst of this war. In our global food security response, the EU and its member States are making an overall contribution of more than €5 billion in humanitarian and development assistance for global food security, up until 2024. We want to assist wherever we are needed, across the globe.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“We also need to ensure that we are addressing climate-related security risks where relevant in our prevention and peacebuilding work across the EU and the United Nations. Ireland puts a real premium on that as an objective and sees it as urgent. As the facts tell, the EU is the world’s leading humanitarian and development assistance donor. As such, the EU is a key partner to the United Nations in crisis management. Today the EU and the United Nations have truly a crucial role to play in ensuring that the multilateral system can deliver a rapid and effective response to the deepening global food security crisis driven by Russia’s senseless war in Ukraine. At this moment, there are around 20 million tons of grain trapped in Ukraine. That grain is trapped by the transformation of Ukraine and the Black Sea into a war zone by Russia.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“I believe that the Council should continue to encourage, build and welcome this cooperation and use the EU’s support for the United Nations where appropriate. We should all be ambitious in taking the United Nations-EU strategic partnership on peace operations and crisis management to the next level. We surely need it. A key priority for the United Nations-EU relationship should continue to be on United Nations mission and operation transitions so as to ensure that any reconfiguration takes place in a responsible, planned and gender-responsive manner — one that supports peacebuilding objectives and is in line with the security situation and needs on the ground. We heard from the High Representative earlier about the European Union’s support for the Peacebuilding Fund in this broader context.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“As EU Special Envoy for the Peace Process in Colombia, our former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Eamon Gilmore, has represented the EU while bringing the lessons learned in our own peace process to the table, sharing experiences and sharing ideas on pathways to peace. The EU has enhanced its capacity to prevent conflict, preserve peace and strengthen international stability and security, in support of the United Nations. The EU works closely with many partners around this table in support of international peace and security as a member of the Middle East Quartet, a facilitator of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and as Coordinator of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“Some of those missions are recognized as playing a central role in responding to threats to peace, such as combating piracy off the coast of Somalia or supporting security sector reform, as in the Central African Republic, where we work to complement the work of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic. Irish experts are proud to work in EU missions in Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East and Africa, while members of the Irish Defence Forces participate in missions and operations in Mali, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Mediterranean. Together with our EU partners, we have supported mediation and peace processes in such diverse contexts as Colombia, Georgia and Mozambique.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“That is, after all, the very reason that respect for the principles of the Charter of the United Nations is written into the Treaty on European Union. As we just heard from the High Representative, the United Nations and the EU work as natural partners around the world to eradicate poverty, protect human rights and preserve peace. The EU’s strategic relationship with the United Nations is, quite literally, a cornerstone of the EU’s policies and actions in support of international peace and security. From Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Middle East and throughout Africa, EU missions are deployed alongside United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“I would like to sincerely thank High Representative Borrell Fontelles for his very welcome briefing this morning. Like the High Representative, I deeply regret that he could not be with us in the Chamber today, but we are delighted to see him virtually on the screen. Ireland is a proud member State of the European Union (EU). We promote and defend European principles and values every day, including at the Security Council table. The transformative power of European Union membership has helped to shape the country that my country, Ireland, is today, and we are very proud of that. We believe that the EU’s own firm belief in multilateralism and its strong, active commitment to the United Nations are born of its own lived experience of conflict. They underline our collective rejection of the belief that military might makes right.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“However, that was not simply a national or bilateral effort. We are grateful for the support and the instrumental role played by our European and international partners in the peace process, both then and now. We thank the women who pressed forward to be in the room and at the table, where and when it mattered. We know the importance of such collaboration in delivering inclusive peace, and we wish it for others. There is an Irish proverb that says we live in each other’s shelter. Let us step up to that aspiration.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064 (2022) · source
“We applaud regional organizations for standing up against atrocities happening in their regions and urge those that have been silent so far to find their voice. Ireland is deeply aware of the benefits of international and regional cooperation. We ourselves are beneficiaries. Before our accession to the United Nations in 1955 and to the European Union in 1973, we were a nation still regaining its voice after centuries of colonization. In the almost 50 years of our EU membership, we have come through conflict on the island of Ireland, in which women had to fight for their right to have a say in peace and in shaping our collective future. We know from first-hand experience that without the participation of women, we simply would not have gained the peace and prosperity we enjoy in Ireland today.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064 (2022) · source
“In the Security Council, Ireland, together with Kenya and Mexico, kick-started a set of women and peace and security commitments during our presidencies. They include striving to ensure women’s participation and civil-society representation in our Security Council discussions. Having women in the Chamber and at this table matters. How can we bring such commitments to the regional level and ensure that they become the norm? Thirdly, regional organizations often have unique access to emerging conflicts in their neighbourhood. We need to use that to respond rapidly, react in a robust way and immediately take gender-responsive approaches, not as an afterthought to be applied post facto.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064 (2022) · source
“More important, we must support their implementation. Put simply, we must deliver on them concretely, day by day. Regional organizations are also well positioned to engage with troop-contributing countries to promote the inclusion of women peacekeepers in United Nations missions. That is a critical step as far as Ireland is concerned. Secondly, we must think beyond our tired old silos. The Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action Compact that emerged from the Generation Equality Forum has a wealth of knowledge for its members, and we commend the African Union for joining it. We encourage regional organizations to be creative and even risk being innovative in advancing the women and peace and security agenda in this way.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064 (2022) · source
“As co-Chair with Mexico of the Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security, we have worked hard over the past 18 months to ensure that the women and peace and security agenda remains at the forefront of the minds of the members of the Council, as we collectively try to work towards peace and security. Enhanced regional cooperation is one of many tools that we should wield to stop the rollback on these issues. In order to halt what the Executive Director of UN-Women described earlier today as backsliding and to advance the agenda, Ireland has a number of recommendations. First, in addition to adopting specific regional action plans on women and peace and security, we need to ensure that all of the peace and security initiatives deployed by regional organizations are actually gender- responsive. That means action, not rhetoric.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064 (2022) · source
“Ireland promotes the regional acceleration of resolution 1325 (2000) to support and learn from women and peace and security initiatives across regional groups and organizations. Sadly, as we watch hard-fought gains on peace being diminished by tyrannical and patriarchal forces, we are deeply concerned about the rollback of this agenda. Nowhere is that more evident than in the abominable Taliban edicts in Afghanistan, which, as the Secretary-General said, have put nearly 20 million Afghan women and girls in a situation of being silenced and erased from sight, which is simply unacceptable. As we see violence, including conflict-related sexual violence, proliferate in other contexts, such as Mali, Myanmar and Ukraine, we know that women and girls are often targeted and that they suffer disproportionately from the effects of war.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064 (2022) · source
“Ireland knows the benefits of working collaboratively, including in our efforts through the EU Informal Task Force on Women, Peace and Security, which enables us to share experiences and support one another in furthering this critical agenda. The African Union’s leadership in advancing the women and peace and security agenda, including through the role of the Special Envoy, is highly commendable. Ireland directly supports the vital work being done by the African Union, the Office of Special Envoy Bineta Diop and the African Women Leaders Network. We salute their work. The African Union’s Continental Results Framework should also be recognized. It is an example not just of good practice but of a unique women and peace and security framework.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064 (2022) · source
“A twelfth is on the way in the Regional Plan of Action on Women and Peace and Security of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Ireland would like to commend ASEAN for its prioritization of that work, coming as it does at a critical time in the context of the deteriorating situation in Myanmar. We know women need our urgent support. Such action plans are invaluable; but putting them into practice and ensuring the necessary spending is essential to reaping the results. As a member of the European Union, Ireland is working to advance the EU Action Plan on Women and Peace and Security and the third Gender Action Plan.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064 (2022) · source
“Horrific conflict-related sexual violence continues to be waged as a weapon of war, something that we were starkly and graphically reminded of at last week’s briefing on Ukraine (see S/PV.9056). What I would like to focus our statement on today is how we can change the trajectory and harness the collaborative nature of regional organizations in order to advance the urgent and long-overdue delivery of our precious women and peace and security agenda. How can we ensure that women’s participation and the inclusion of their voices become standard practice rather than an afterthought? That is a minimum — a baseline — as far as we are concerned. There are more than 11 regional organizations with action plans or dedicated strategies on women and peace and security.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064 (2022) · source
“I will not repeat the shameful figures about the shortfalls in the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda, or dwell on the yawning chasm of financial support and resources dedicated to women’s organizations worldwide. They are the shameful facts. The Security Council knows that grand statements, commitments and resolutions are far from being matched by results on the ground. Women, in all their diversity, continue to be sidelined, tokenized and, frankly, too often completely forgotten about at the negotiating table. Often, women are not even in the room, let alone heard. We are making the same mistake over and over again. To echo the statement made by the Executive Director of UN-Women this morning, we are not living up to our commitments.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064 (2022) · source